1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to televisions and more particularly to an improved back center panel for video display device. The invention is a thin centrally-mounted back solution for a flat panel display that houses all electronics and connectors for the display. The central solution also contains the main controller board for the display and the power supply.
2. Background of the Invention
Televisions have evolved from black and white, to color, and most recently into flat panels and high definition televisions. Through this process, the technology used to perform the various functions has progressed from clunky to refined. In particular, flat panel displays have become very popular due to the low space requirement, the possibility of wall-mounted units, and the availability of digital-quality picture.
In the prior art, flat panel displays have often been approximately 3-5 inches thick, a considerable improvement over the prior art, but in virtually every embodiment this thickness covers the entirety of the back of the flat panel display. In many cases the effective thickness of the display is further increased due to poor cable management. This thickness is typically used throughout the display to enable the display's control or logic boards to dissipate heat at functional levels and in order that the display may be uniform thickness throughout for aesthetic purposes. Additionally, electronics and input and output connections to the display are typically embedded throughout the back of the display in the prior art, necessitating the use of a uniform thickness throughout. A great deal of wiring is used, when mass produced, to connect all of these disparate electronic components and input and output connectors within the back of a display in the prior art. The addition of these longer signal paths and corresponding connectors introduces visible and unnecessary electronic signal degradation and interference. Additionally, the electronic components' scattered positions throughout the back of the display increase the manufacturing cost of wiring the components together.